Lighthawk
Weekend warrior
This is getting exciting. 
Very well documented, Pods. You're getting there!
Very well documented, Pods. You're getting there!
POD: Homebuilt foam core fiberglass skin pop-up camper build thread
- Thread starter pods8
- Start date
This is getting exciting.
Very well documented, Pods. You're getting there!
x2!
Very well documented, Pods. You're getting there!
x2!
OP
OP
pods8
Contributors
Thanks, building the interior mockup was very gratifying. Only bummer is I had planned on getting the interior of the roof glassed before they got here but I couldn't quite fit it in. So now I'll have to shuffle things around again to get the roof down and glass that (you can't see it but the roof is hanging above the camper right now). Really had hoped that would have been done so I could just assemble the upper shell together and move onto the flip up walls/doors which I can build along side the camper since they're not that big.
As always throw out any ideas that cross your minds. My current thought is that I'll put an access door on the end of the 40" long bench so while standing outside the camper stuff could get shoved in/out of that. I'm pondering whether some cabinet doors on the face of the 48" bench would be of any good, if the table wasn't installed and someone was sitting on it then someone could still get into there but that doesn't really see too practical either. Mainly trying to figure out the best place for kids clothes and such... Maybe I'll look into the sizing of those collapsing fabric hanging organizers perhaps those could be hung in the back corners for their clothes storage and then just placed on the benches when we hit the road... hmmm.
(OH used some stuff from blue performance in his build, here's just an example)
Best picture of the back corners I have on hand from an earlier mockup:
As always throw out any ideas that cross your minds. My current thought is that I'll put an access door on the end of the 40" long bench so while standing outside the camper stuff could get shoved in/out of that. I'm pondering whether some cabinet doors on the face of the 48" bench would be of any good, if the table wasn't installed and someone was sitting on it then someone could still get into there but that doesn't really see too practical either. Mainly trying to figure out the best place for kids clothes and such... Maybe I'll look into the sizing of those collapsing fabric hanging organizers perhaps those could be hung in the back corners for their clothes storage and then just placed on the benches when we hit the road... hmmm.
(OH used some stuff from blue performance in his build, here's just an example)
Best picture of the back corners I have on hand from an earlier mockup:
chnlisle
Post Master
I love the washing machine door for a rear window.
OP
OP
pods8
Contributors
I love the washing machine door for a rear window.
I really could live without the laundry occurring in the garage, that has had some friction at times due to the duct production... When we move I've said not having the laundry in the garage is HIGH on my future house desire list (or a separate shop ).
I really could live without the laundry occurring in the garage, that has had some friction at times due to the duct production... When we move I've said not having the laundry in the garage is HIGH on my future house desire list (or a separate shop ).
Alley-Kat
Elder Statesman
Hold out for the seperate (heated) shop.
OP
OP
pods8
Contributors
Truck is gonna get a makeover:
Truck is gonna get a makeover:
We're still watching and enjoying!
We're still watching and enjoying!
OP
OP
pods8
Contributors
We're still watching and enjoying!
Great, thanks. More to follow:
I've got the majority installed now. Still outstanding are lights, the drop sides, and a bracket for the fuel filler. My bed was a custom length 7.5' and they sent the wrong drop sides (8.5') so I need to cut them down and drill new hole placement for the pins, otherwise I would have already wrapped that up. As it is I got cooked by the pleasant sunny day in which I forgot about sunscreen so I called it a day. Working casually solo this was about 8hrs of work to unbolt/remove the other bed and install this one to the point you see.
Other bed stripped and unbolted, ready to remove:
I managed to squeege my truck into the garage next to the camper build (BARELY, I had to climb out the window) so I could use the ceiling joists to ratchet off the old bed:
Cab and chassis style ready to get the mounts installed:
Hard to see in the picture since I already touched it up but there was a gasket on the bottom edge of the stock bed that had rubbed through the paint, so if you're planning to do a flatbed have some touch up paint handy to paint over the possible bare metal (I didn't and had to stop to run to the store). Also one of the mounting brackets:
My headboard was setup for 9" drop sides when I got it so I had to drill another hole and flip the bracket to work with my 12" sides:
Other than sides/lights/fuel filler as mentioned above its more or less done for now. I'll eventually build a custom rear bumper that will come out slightly past the flatbed but I've got other things to focus on for now:
Also this bracket will be getting installed behind the front bumper as well for a future addition:
Great, thanks. More to follow:
I've got the majority installed now. Still outstanding are lights, the drop sides, and a bracket for the fuel filler. My bed was a custom length 7.5' and they sent the wrong drop sides (8.5') so I need to cut them down and drill new hole placement for the pins, otherwise I would have already wrapped that up. As it is I got cooked by the pleasant sunny day in which I forgot about sunscreen so I called it a day. Working casually solo this was about 8hrs of work to unbolt/remove the other bed and install this one to the point you see.
Other bed stripped and unbolted, ready to remove:
I managed to squeege my truck into the garage next to the camper build (BARELY, I had to climb out the window) so I could use the ceiling joists to ratchet off the old bed:
Cab and chassis style ready to get the mounts installed:
Hard to see in the picture since I already touched it up but there was a gasket on the bottom edge of the stock bed that had rubbed through the paint, so if you're planning to do a flatbed have some touch up paint handy to paint over the possible bare metal (I didn't and had to stop to run to the store). Also one of the mounting brackets:
My headboard was setup for 9" drop sides when I got it so I had to drill another hole and flip the bracket to work with my 12" sides:
Other than sides/lights/fuel filler as mentioned above its more or less done for now. I'll eventually build a custom rear bumper that will come out slightly past the flatbed but I've got other things to focus on for now:
Also this bracket will be getting installed behind the front bumper as well for a future addition:
Looking good. After seeing DirtyDog's camper I'm getting more and more intrigued by the flatbed possibilities. Not anything like this one though...............
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/3154138249.html
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/3154138249.html
OP
OP
pods8
Contributors
HAHA! Nice. Yeah it opens the doors on the campers/storage possibilities.
Luckily I'm local for pickup from UTE and also did my own install so my cost was a bit lower. I'll sell off my bed as well and see what I recoup out of that.
Luckily I'm local for pickup from UTE and also did my own install so my cost was a bit lower. I'll sell off my bed as well and see what I recoup out of that.
Jamesiam
Senior Member
Nice, I would love a Dodge 3/4 ton . What are you doing with the truck bed, new garden area? Oh just saw that you are selling the bed.
OP
OP
pods8
Contributors
It just drove away actually.
I've still got a little clearance lighting work to do on it, the rear back corners and the two on the passenger side but otherwise it's installed for now. As mentioned I'll eventually make a new rear bumper that'll complement things more but that'll not be in the short term.
I've still got a little clearance lighting work to do on it, the rear back corners and the two on the passenger side but otherwise it's installed for now. As mentioned I'll eventually make a new rear bumper that'll complement things more but that'll not be in the short term.
OP
OP
pods8
Contributors
Bed is fully wrapped up now (other than an eventual modified bumper). Winch carrier is installed waiting for winch arrival.
OP
OP
pods8
Contributors
A 120lb box of goodies arrived this weekend, and also tweaked my back carrying it so I had to wait till later in the weekend to install. Went with a titan 12k winch. Its an import but of the reviews I've found out there they have been positive so I opted for it.
Mounted and access to control box I made a bracket for an attacked to by lower radiator support.
Winch respooled under tension and good to go:
Mounted and access to control box I made a bracket for an attacked to by lower radiator support.
Winch respooled under tension and good to go:
Ramblinman
Senior Member
Well Done!
OP
OP
pods8
Contributors
Here's the current FWC on the flatbed for now. I did make the cab over height smaller on the build so it'll fit better (ie less gap).
OP
OP
pods8
Contributors
So there was a good amount to deal with over the last months and the camper project has now moved along with the family to Colorado. I knocked out the underside of the roof lamination before we left as I was concerned it would get damaged otherwise. The roof was laid over top of the camper after it was loaded into the moving truck and an easy 1000lb was stacked on top of it and also had me crawling over it to load/unload stuff stacked on it. This is just in its single panel state, the side walls aren’t attached yet to it, it survived the move just fine and has eased any structural concerns I might have had about it.
Working on getting life/garage settled here but hoping to get some solid work done on wrapping up the shell over the winter now that I finally got the bear of that last BIG roof lamination done that I was procrastinating over.
Pictures off the wife's camera of how this unique move went down...
This is the offloading, it went in reverse of this process. I built a cradle around the camper to attach jacks to in multiple locations depending on which way we decided to load it, in the truck I rested it on some flat 2x4s so I could get a pry bar under neath the slip moving dolleys back under to roll it to the back of the truck. Poke the back out and get the first set of jacks on.
Then run the jacks down to lift the camper off the rear set of dolleys, lift up the jacks to then slip the dolleys under the jacks and then lift the camper back up. Then carefully push the camper back to expose the front set of offset jack mounts.
Repeat the dolley shuffling process to get them under the front jacks and then push the contraption backwards to clear the truck and lower it down.
Once lowered down we pushed it into the garage and I used jack stands/floor jack to work it all the way back down to just resting on the moving dolleys.
Working on getting life/garage settled here but hoping to get some solid work done on wrapping up the shell over the winter now that I finally got the bear of that last BIG roof lamination done that I was procrastinating over.
Pictures off the wife's camera of how this unique move went down...
This is the offloading, it went in reverse of this process. I built a cradle around the camper to attach jacks to in multiple locations depending on which way we decided to load it, in the truck I rested it on some flat 2x4s so I could get a pry bar under neath the slip moving dolleys back under to roll it to the back of the truck. Poke the back out and get the first set of jacks on.
Then run the jacks down to lift the camper off the rear set of dolleys, lift up the jacks to then slip the dolleys under the jacks and then lift the camper back up. Then carefully push the camper back to expose the front set of offset jack mounts.
Repeat the dolley shuffling process to get them under the front jacks and then push the contraption backwards to clear the truck and lower it down.
Once lowered down we pushed it into the garage and I used jack stands/floor jack to work it all the way back down to just resting on the moving dolleys.
Wow, pods8, good ingenuity on getting the camper safely to Colorado. You have been busy! Good luck with getting settled in your new home.
Mark W. Ingalls
Contributors
Keep on it...
Say, you're closer to me now, aren't ya'!
Say, you're closer to me now, aren't ya'!
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